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IN TRADE

“To tie things more tightly among the three countries that are working together to ensure resiliency of supply, we need to be part of that agreement.”

Wed, 2:34 PM

Commerce Secretary Raimondo and her Kenyan counterpart “affirmed their shared priorities for strengthening the digital economy, promoting innovation, and increasing digital trade and investment between the United States and Kenya.”

Wed, 2:11 PM

The top stories from the past week.

Wed, 12:36 PM

“Given the challenge that the WTO faced in renewing the moratorium at MC13 and the value of this commitment to businesses of all sizes in the global digital economy, a longstanding solution on the issue is much needed.”

Wed, 12:21 PM

“Frankly, together we need to be able to move beyond the challenges of the [Inflation Reduction Act].”

Tue, 6:02 PM

In Trade

EU criticizes U.S. countervailing probe at the WTO; U.S. knocks Chinese overcapacity
By Hannah Monicken

The European Union at the World Trade Organization this week “sharply” criticized a U.S. countervailing duty investigation into imports of an industrial chemical from Germany, arguing it improperly targets the bloc’s Emissions Trading System.

USDA’s Taylor: India growing more open to mutually beneficial agricultural trade
By Jason Asenso

The U.S. and India are looking for “win-win” opportunities to boost agricultural trade, the Agriculture Department’s top trade official said on Wednesday.

Former trade ministers: Incremental approach needed to address harmful subsidies
By Oliver Ward

Governments should target incremental progress in international fora to rein in trade-distorting industrial subsidies, which have become a mainstay in an international trading system increasingly focused on industrial policy, two former trade ministers said this week.

Tai: U.S. to watch ‘with interest’ EU probe into Chinese procurement practices
By Hannah Monicken

The U.S. will be watching “with interest” the European Union’s newly launched investigation into Chinese procurement practices for medical devices, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Wednesday, calling the bloc’s new procurement instrument a tool that has the potential to help tackle “unfair” Chinese policies.

USTR labor advisers: U.S. must do more to hold industry feet to the fire
By Hannah Monicken

In crafting a supply chain resilience strategy, the U.S. must hold large corporations accountable – with “clear carrots and sticks” – in advancing U.S. economic security interests and workers’ rights, a group of senior labor advisers to the U.S. Trade Representative argued this week.

Dodd: Seven more countries have asked to join APEP
By Jason Asenso

Seven Western Hemisphere countries have asked to join the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, Special Presidential Adviser for the Americas Chris Dodd said on Monday, touting the potential for a “critical mass” of countries focused on a range of collaborative efforts.

  • Chair of WTO fisheries talks aiming to finalize deal in the ‘near future’

    Following a close-but-no-cigar failure to secure a deal at the 13th World Trade Organization ministerial conference in February, the chair of the WTO fisheries subsidies negotiations is pushing for members to finalize an agreement in the “near future,” outlining a few categories of “desirable adjustments” for the text, including at least one political interlinkage -- on forced labor -- that...

  • WTO members consider post-MC13 next steps on agriculture

    World Trade Organization members this week debated next steps to advance agriculture negotiations after failing to agree to any framework or roadmap for the talks at the 12th and 13th ministerial conferences, with some pushing to build on the text from MC13 while others, including the U.S., are skeptical.

  • McKalip: Across-the-board tariff proposal a threat to U.S. agriculture  

    A proposal put forward by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to impose a new tariff on all goods entering the U.S. would hurt the agriculture sector, a senior Office of U.S. Trade Representative official said last week, arguing that Republicans’ recent focus on the agricultural trade deficit overlooks the “real threats” to American agriculture.

  • Vilsack suggests ag trade deficit could be a message from China

    China is buying fewer agricultural products from the U.S. this year in part because Beijing wants to send a “signal” to the U.S., Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this week, suggesting the U.S. agriculture trade deficit is in part attributable to the drop in Chinese purchases.

  • Former AUSTR: RRM case could illuminate broader enforcement plan

    A dispute between the U.S. and Mexico over how to remediate worker rights’ violations at a Mexican call center could shed light on how the Biden administration plans to enforce developing trade arrangements with other partners, former Assistant U.S.

  • Manchin: Consider use of USMCA to ‘shock’ Mexico into action on fentanyl

    The Biden administration should consider whether it could use the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to “shock” Mexico into doing more to stem the flow of fentanyl across the border, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) suggested this week – securing a pledge from Attorney General Merrick Garland that he would consider it.